A commercial sex worker has been threatened by a man who vowed to collect the money his dad allegedly paid for her service.
The prostitute was visited in July this year by someone who accused her
of sleeping with his father.The man threatened her and said he would
take the money back that his father had paid.
At a hearing about a case involving alleged invasion of privacy and
threats by some persons, a judge heard how the prostitute, simply
identified as GHY, has had her character defamed through spurious
allegations by some men who allegedly wanted her services free of
charge.
She alleged that her privacy was being infringed upon.
The judge ruled that, being a sex worker does not disqualify her from
having a private life, granting an injunction to the escort who has been
harassed online.
GYH has been caused considerable distress by online publications about
her sex life, physical and mental health, the High Court heard.
These include allegations that she has HIV/AIDS, which she says are untrue.
GYH brought proceedings in London against “persons unknown” as, despite
extensive efforts, it has proved impossible to trace any individual who
has posted the material.
The perpetrator is still unknown, but is “most likely to be one male individual,” the High Court heard.
On Tuesday (today), Mr. Justice Warby said that an injunction was “amply
justified” to restrain continued harassment of GYH and the misuse of
private information about her.
The fact that GYH had publicised that she was an escort providing sexual
services was relevant, but did not disqualify her from the protection
given to private life, he added.
She is an “active user of social media and maintains a Facebook profile, a YouTube channel and a blog,” the court heard.
It would be going too far to say that a person providing sexual services
for reward as an escort had an unqualified right to decide what
information could be made public, the judge said.
Mr. Justice Warby added:
The judge added that if a sex worker practised unsafe sex and had
contracted HIV/AIDS, yet continued to work, there would be a clear
justification for warning those who might suffer the consequences.
But GYH stated that she did not practise unsafe sex and was HIV negative
— and there was “credible uncontradicted evidence” that the allegations
were false, the judge said.
The woman said the abuse began in December 2015 after she received a
text message from someone claiming to be a student who wished to meet
her socially but not pay for her services.
When GYH declined, the conversation deteriorated into abuse. She also received anonymous phone calls with further abuse.
Posts on a series of websites made allegations that she had spread
sexually transmitted diseases, was anorexic and mentally ill, the court
heard.
They use both her work name and legal name and also include specific and
identifiable information about her and pictures, which are “often
altered in an offensive manner.”
